Give Potato Salad Game Day Flavor With A 3-Ingredient Buffalo Upgrade

From curried potato salad to the ingredients that make German potato salad unique, this side dish takes on any flavor you want. So, why haven't you tried making Buffalo potato salad yet? It's a zesty, spicy twist on a classic that'll spice up any game day potluck. It's the only answer you need to the question of what to do with leftover sauce from wing night. To really bring the flavors home in a creamy potato salad, you just need three ingredients: Buffalo-style hot sauce, blue cheese, and celery.

Buffalo hot sauce, celery, and blue cheese deliver a unique flavor combination — similar to a French mirepoix or Cajun cooking's holy trinity of aromatics. When you mix these three additions into your regular potato salad recipe, you know you're going to get a Buffalo-style result (just like with soup, wraps, and practically any other dish). 

Recipes vary on the amount of hot sauce you'll need. For around 2 pounds of potatoes, between a ¼ and ⅓ cup is a good place to start, though you should certainly tailor the amount you use to your preferred level of heat. Add a generous helping of crumbled blue cheese and a cup or two of chopped, raw celery. Mix them into the potato salad with the rest of your ingredients and then add a garnish of blue cheese and diced celery to make the flavors pop.

Potato salad will taste like it's made Buffalo-style with hot sauce, celery, and blue cheese, but more mix-ins will take it up a notch. Add sliced scallions, diced red onions, or fresh chives for a fresh bite and a pop of color. For even more contrast, skip the boiled potatoes. Instead, use smashed and twice-roasted baby red or gold potatoes for a crunchy texture. For extra Buffalo-style flavor, make your dressing with a packet of Ranch seasoning or some of your favorite Ranch dressing.

Pub-style Buffalo chicken wings are the game day appetizer that started it all, so protein is a great mix-in for Buffalo potato salad. Since this is a side dish, though, if you're adding protein, might as well make it bacon. Its salty, smoky, and savory profile will amplify the other flavors and balance out all that creaminess. The result will be a Buffalo potato salad with a richer and deeper flavor profile and way more crunch. A garnish of super crispy bacon is the perfect way to finish the dish.